


The Elevator

by flashytonystark



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Game of Thrones RPF, Modern Westeros - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - A Song of Ice and Fire, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Game of Thrones Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Westeros, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Book 6: The Winds of Winter, Burning, Character Death, Could Be Canon, Crying, Destruction, Destruction of the Sept of Baelor, Explosion, F/M, Faith of the Seven, Feels, Ficlet, Fire, Game of Thrones References, Game of Thrones spoilers, Game of Thrones-esque, Great Sept of Baelor, Heavy Angst, I Choose Violence, I Don't Even Know, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Inspiration from GoT S6E10, Inspired by Game of Thrones, King's Landing, Last Day On Earth, Margaery Tyrell runs a fashion company, Minor Character Death, Modern Era, Modern Retelling, Modern Spin on the Great Sept of Baelor Explosion, Modern Westeros, Original Character Death(s), POV Outsider, POV Third Person, Plot, Plot Twists, Present Tense, Robb Lives, Robbaery - Freeform, Season 6 Episode 10, Sept of Baelor Explosion, The Faith Militant, The Light of the Seven, The Nightlands, The Seven, The Winds of Winter, Took something Canon and Made it Modern, Westeros, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, Why Did I Write This?, With A Twist, but with a modern twist, canon AU, gas leak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-21 14:34:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7391050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flashytonystark/pseuds/flashytonystark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <br/>
    <i></i>
  </p>
  <p>
    <i>In Modern Westeros, Margaery Tyrell is hoping for her fashion career to finally take off with the help of her once biggest rival, Cersei Lannister.</i>
  </p>
  <p>
    <i>Armed and ready to go with a new fashion line that she worked on very closely with Cersei, Margaery is ready to present her work to anyone and everyone who can help her reach the top of one of the largest industries in all of the Seven Kingdoms. Cersei has even agreed to allow Margaery access to the Baelor Banquet Hall to hold the show.</i>
  </p>
  <p>
    <i>The day of the presentation and fashion show has arrived, yet Cersei has yet to appear. Margaery's nerves are eating away at her, but with the support of her brother Loras, her father Mace, and best and oldest friend, Robb Stark, she feels much more confident, even without Cersei there.</i>
  </p>
  <p>
    <i></i>
  </p>
  <p>Told in two parts, it begins with a glimpse into the day and chaos that was the fashion show, from beginning to when everything went wrong, followed by Margaery's own personal journey as she works through the aftermath of that fateful day.</p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Today is something special, today is a day of importance. Margaery Tyrell’s fashion career depends on the success of today’s show. She’s standing behind the podium on stage as she delivers her introduction to her guests, a pang of sadness going through her each time she sees the empty chair next to hers—the one that is reserved for her boyfriend Cam who was called into work at the last minute. But Robb is there grinning, serving dutifully as her oldest and best friend. And her brother Loras and her father Mace are sitting a few seats down, grinning at her. She wishes her grandmother Olenna was able to be there._

_The other chair next to hers is still empty she realizes as she steps down from the stage. Cersei Lannister was to be there, to witness Margaery’s final designs in person, but she had yet to show. Creating this line and hosting the show at the Baelor Banquet Hall was Cersei’s idea. Why she still wasn’t there was a question even Margaery could not answer._

_Robb is standing now, gripping hard onto her hand so much that it hurts, and he looks panicked, he’s practically shouting that they need to leave, but if they leave, how professional will that look? Besides, the best dress hasn’t come out yet—the pyrotechnics Cersei designed will be sure to wow everyone in the room. Robb will have nothing of it. He’s still tugging at her, his eyes wide and pleading. There’s something in his eyes and voice that convince Margaery to go with him, so she agrees._

_He’s been complaining of a smell throughout the building, something acrid and chemical. Margaery hasn’t really noticed it, just a whiff every so often. The smell is enough to raise Robb’s suspicions, though he won’t tell Margaery exactly what they are._

_They’re hurrying along toward the doors together, Robb’s grip tightening even more the closer they get. The MC’s voice booms throughout the hall, announcing the name of the next dress, the one Margaery so desperately wants Robb to see, the one that’s to have a display big enough to wow all of the important people there._

_Robb, wait! She cries out excitedly._

_He turns, annoyed that she has stopped walking only a few feet from the doors, away from safety. He groans and his eyes widen after a moment. He tugs on her arm, ignoring her protests as he does so._  

_Margaery is confused as she watches her model walk down the extended catwalk. She’s looking over her shoulder as Robb anxiously pulls her toward the doors, but she’s now more concerned with the stage display. The rigging along the edge of the stage and catwalk was supposed to go off with the woman’s first step. Small flames were to come from the rigging at first, growing larger with each one of her steps. The woman is walking, Margaery sees, but there are no flames. She’s almost to the end of the catwalk when Robb pushes through the front doors, not even bothering to try and pull them shut. He’s trying to hurry down the steps as quickly as possible with Margery._  

_The flames. The stage design. All of it, flawed. Margaery wonders for a second why nothing happened, why Cersei still hasn’t shown up, why she and Robb are running._

_Loras and Mace are sitting in their seats, confused as to what’s going on with Robb and Margaery, but they turn their attention back to the stage as the two leave the building. Their attention focuses on the brilliant red gown Margaery spent weeks designing and the model wearing it. She steps to the end of the catwalk and all at once, the rigging lights but in much larger flames than anyone had ever discussed or rehearsed._

_Robb wasn’t wrong about the smell._

_There are chemicals in the basement, spilling on the floor and soaking into the wooden shelves, along with a severed gas line that has been leaking for almost twenty-four hours._

_A large bang goes off behind Margaery and Robb and the blast throws them forward and down the marble steps, neither of them able to stay together._

_Margaery’s last thought is “oh” before her world turns black._


	2. Chapter 2

A taxi pulls up to the front of the Tyrell fashion building and idles as a woman gathers herself together before she steps out.   
  
It's Margaery Tyrell, dressed in a gorgeous rosé wine colored knee length dress from a small line she created earlier in the year, and a pair of white ballet flats. She walks toward the front doors as she does every morning and steps inside, surprised to see no one at the reception desk.   
  
Ignoring the strange sensation that has pooled in the pit of her stomach, she continues down the vacant hall to the bank of elevators and steps on the first one. No one is with her and she has the urge to press all ten buttons, so she does just that and smiles to herself as she leans against the wall to wait.   
  
When the elevator dings and the LED display tells her she has reached the first floor, she steps forward to exit, but instead of being greeted by windows and tile flooring like she is used to, she's greeted by a parking lot, one that gnaws at a spot in the back of her mind. She knows this place, but can't quite think of where it’s located. As she tries to step forward to investigate, she stops as something invisible blocks her path and she realizes she cannot go any farther than a few feet from the elevator doors. She turns her head toward a noise and sees Cam. He's running, his face sickly white as he clutches his phone to his ear with his keys in his other hand.   
  
"Tell her to hang on! I'm on my way!"  
  
Margaery stretches out her hand and calls out his name, but he doesn’t hear her or turn. She can hear a voice calling out her name and it forces her back into the elevator and the button with the 1 in the middle is no longer lit up. She can hear the far off voice repeating her name, telling her to open her eyes.   
  
The voice disappears when she reaches the second floor.   
  
She steps out with a wince as her stomach twists and goes as far as she can, once again hitting the invisible barrier between herself and those around her. She's at her childhood home in Highgarden, standing at the door that leads to the back yard from the kitchen. Alerie is there, her eyes shining with tears as she stares at something on the small television sitting on the counter. Margaery can't make out the picture on the screen (it’s too blurry for her to see) and in vain, she reaches out for her mother, her hand stopping a few inches from Alerie’s shoulder.  
  
"Willas!" Alerie calls out in a shaky voice. "Call your Grandmother! Tell her we're on our way!"   
  
The far off voice is back now, it sounds even fainter than before, and like magic, she is back on the elevator, heading to the third floor. She hears her name once again and then the voice is hushing her, telling her not to speak. She tries to pinpoint the sound of the voice, but before she can, the LED lights are displaying a number 3 and the steel doors open again.   
  
It's chaos in the Stark household. Sansa is yelling for her mother to hurry and Jon and Arya are frantically trying to make phone calls while Ned steps outside, already on the phone and talking in hushed whispers to whoever is on the other line.   
  
"Mum!" It's Bran, Margaery realizes as he wheels himself into the living room. "Turn on the news! Look at the steps, look!" He shouts, pointing at a spot on the television that Margaery can't see. Again, it's blurry, just like the one Alerie was watching.   
  
The Starks stare at the television screen with looks of horror on their faces as Ned comes back into the house. He grabs Catelyn by the arm and pulls her toward the door. "Come on, I told them we're on our way."  
  
Nothing is making any sense to Maragery and she can’t see what’s on the television. She tries to scream for someone to tell her what's going on, but the voice is calling her back, this time louder than ever, and she's back on the elevator once again.   
  
She’s burrowing herself in the corner of the elevator as she listens to the voice reassuring her again and again that they are fine, but she doesn't care. This time, the voice speaks longer than ever and the elevator idles itself on the fourth floor, the doors not opening. Out of frustration, Margaery bangs her fists against the cool metal door, screaming that she wants off the elevator, that she wants to go home. She's still shouting, her face flushed and stomach cramping as the doors suddenly open, causing Margaery to stumble forward. She trips, catches herself, and discovers that she is standing in the living room of a very modern looking penthouse.   
  
She's never been here before, she’s certain, but there's something familiar about the place. She can hear a woman's voice floating from another room, but she's unable to make out to whom it belongs. She stands there for ages, waiting on the woman. She'd much rather get back on the elevator, but the doors are closed behind her and she's becoming more disoriented.   
  
As soon as she closes her eyes, the woman enters, but Margaery is too tired to open them. The woman flips on her television, selects a channel on her guide, and raises a glass of wine to her lips. She's grinning at whatever she's watching as her phone buzzes with a text message. The woman reads the words, her face falls, and she quickly types a reply:

 _You must be mistaken. I told my son to stay home today. Keep this quiet until I arrive, I promise to be there soon. I’m on my way._  
  
Margaery opens her eyes at a rustling noise, catches a quick glimpse of short, golden hair disappearing through the door, and then the voice is back, pulling her to the elevator.   
  
There is little fight left in her, so she slumps against the wall, her face hot, but the rest of her cold. She's shaking, but unsure as to why. The voice is growing more distant now and the words are more hurried and pleading. The voice sounds afraid but as the speaker is trying to mask his fear, the sound disappears just as quickly as it came and the elevator stops on the fifth floor. It's hard for Margaery to step forward, but when she does, she’s out on a busy street, standing beside a taxi. She watches a woman get inside the vehicle. Margaery opens the other door and nearly collapses onto the seat.

Olenna is there, her hands clasped together with her head bowed as her lips move silently in what Margaery can only assume is prayer. The woman does not look up, even when Maragery occupies the seat next to her. She only looks up when the vehicle comes to a sudden stop, dark smoke filling the sky, and without a word, Olenna is out of the taxi, hurrying down the traffic congested streets.   
  
She's shouting to no one in particular as she goes off in the direction of the smoke. "I'm on my way! Please, gods, hang on!"  
  
Margaery wants to run after her, to see why the road shut down, and to see what the source of the smoke is, but she can't. She's colder now, shaking even more so, and before she knows what's happening, she's back on the elevator and she takes a seat in the middle of the floor.   
  
It's odd. She distinctly remembers pressing all the buttons as soon as she stepped into the elevator the first time, but buttons six through nine are now off. Only buttons 10 and L, which she assumes stands for "Lobby," remain.   
  
The voice that has been with her each time she’s been on the elevator is there, but now it's so faint, she can no longer make out the words; it only sounds like garbled noise now, like she's trying to talk to someone on an old rotary phone in a snowstorm. She’s come to like the voice, it keeps her somewhat calm, but when the elevator stops on the tenth floor, she begins to panic. Each time she leaves, the voice leaves her too. She doesn’t want the voice to leave; she needs the voice to stay with her.  
  
She fights as much as she can to stay on the elevator, to keep the garbled sounding voice in her head, but she can’t. She gets to her feet and stumbles out with an arm around her middle, the pain that has been growing in her stomach almost unbearable. What she sees in front of her is nothing but chaos and she feels dizzy. The voice is back, but it's coming from wherever she is instead of the elevator. An elated feeling comes over her, followed by one of relief that the voice is back. She turns slowly in circles as she attempts to locate the speaker. It takes her a few moments to discover the person, and when she does, it feels as if all of the air left her lungs in one second.   
  
Robb is there at the bottom of a gorgeous set of marble steps, ashes of the burning building falling around him. His curls and side of his face are covered in blood, and he has his tux jacket off, pressing it hard against something—no, someone.   
  
Margaery notices the legs first, twisted at a strange angle, and then she notices the shoes. A dirty white ballet flat lies a few yards away from the couple and the other remains on the woman's foot.   
  
"Margaery, _please_!"   
  
It's the voice from the elevator again, which she now knows belongs to Robb and it's strained and painful as he chokes back what sounds like a sob.   
  
"Just hold on a little while longer, okay? They're on their way. Everyone is on their way."  
  
Margaery goes to step forward, her mind racing as she tries to figure out why she never saw Loras or her father while on the elevator, and stops as a strangled cry leaves her throat. Pain sears through her stomach, fire licking up every nerve in her body. Her arm tightens around her waist and she glances down at herself realizing that she is now wearing only one shoe and the front of her dress is soaked in a dark crimson. She looks up just as Robb turns his head and she can tell he's screaming frantically, but she can't hear his exact words or any sound at all. The scene in front of her goes fuzzy, her head heavy, and once again she's back on the elevator that drops immediately to the lobby in less than two seconds as soon as the doors close.  
  
Margaery spins in circles, her dress ruined and her shoe missing, trying to listen for Robb's voice as she runs her hands over the metal walls. Robb’s voice is no longer there and she suddenly feels sick. Her back is to the elevator doors when they open, but she spins around at the sound of a new voice.   
  
"Margarine."  
  
She would know that nickname anywhere. She's crying now and she runs forward as soon as she sees her father and brother standing in front of her. Relief washes over her as she is able to hold onto them, followed by dread as she realizes what this now means. She pushes those thoughts away for the moment.  
  
"We've been waiting for you, Margy," her father whispers as he strokes her hair while the elevator doors shut behind her for the very last time. "We came as soon as we heard you were on your way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh lord, this was actually really hard to write and even harder to revise. Loras and Margaery are two of my favorite characters and reliving their deaths wasn't an easy feat. 
> 
> I'm really proud of the work I did on this, from capturing the entirety of the fashion show as almost a flashback to Margaery's journey to the Nightlands via an elevator at her office, a place she cared about and loved deeply. 
> 
> My favorite part was using Robb's voice as her own personal tether to life and that each time his voice changed in sound and volume depended on her conscious state in reality; when she would stop at each floor, she could never hear him as she slipped into unconsciousness, but his voice always brought her back until it could no longer do so. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. xx


End file.
